First Halloween for International Students

The last days of the month of October, become part of one of the most celebrated holidays all around north America. Halloween allows people of all ages to get in disguise and go out for treats.

Most of the United States and Canada have developed a significant attachment to this holiday, but in other cases from international students some of their countries celebrate Halloween and have different traditions.

“In the case of Mexico, they celebrate Día de los Muertos, or Day of the death that is almost like Halloween, but we pay respect to our loved ones, as we think that a door to the other world opens.” Said Mariano Padruno an international student from Mexico.

But when coming to Canada, some students who are spending their first north American Halloween start to think of plans to handle the renowned holiday.

“My plan for this Halloween is to enjoy with my friends, spend time with my family and being able to trick or treat along the neighborhood.” Said Sebastian Rubi an international student from Honduras.

The interest of international students to establish their own traditions or preserve others that they can bring from home. As they want to mix their culture with the ones that they already knew about.

Candies are bought and shared between friends, costumes are compared in good spirit for them to decide which one is the best between a mixture of superheroes and classic movie monsters.

Along with this, the city of Fredericton and St. Thomas university have activities to offer for everyone in the spirit for the celebrations.

“I know that there are a few downtown parties and that there’s a haunted house.” Said Naomi Lopez and international student from Honduras.

Downtown Fredericton becomes the hotspot for all the students that want to celebrate Halloween through the weekend. Offering activities like activist like the haunted tour at the Fredericton capital exhibit center.

A place that offers a varied arrange of horror movie themes, memorabilia and props that resemble different ages of the pop culture of horror movies.

As part of the Freddy Frights Fest, annual arrangement of activities for people of all ages. This event consists of horror movie screenings, haunted houses, pumpkin carvings, and so more.

But for the young adult, as most of the international students, there are other activities that they want to be part of during the Halloween weekend.

“This weekend is filled with parties, and lots of drinking activities for us university students to have a good time, as everyone wants to take pictures with their costumes and friends inside house parties.” Said Ana Hernandez an international student from Honduras.

For the younger generations the idea of Halloween is an opportunity to go around parties with their friends, show of their costumes, and meet new people around the city, as house parties are meant to involve anyone that walks in.

But besides the influence of parties in the life of international students that are celebrating their first Halloween abroad, it helps them to get to know more of the city they live in.

As they must walk around to get to said houses or do a whole haunted tour to get downtown and party with other people in disguise inside clubs or bars that offer special events with costumes in mind.

Halloween has become a celebration where people of all ages could have fun, as it allows children to wear disguises of their favorite characters, the young adults can meet new people through parties.

And at last, there’s the adult that could enjoy the candies and offering some to the children that go around trick or treating through the neighborhood.